Joe Johnson Wins Trustee Election

April 7, 2004

Joe Johnson, a tireless volunteer for the Libertarian Party of Colorado over the 2000 and 2002 election cycles and recently for the Travis Nicks campaign (for the Arapahoe County Clerk recall), has himself earned a spot in local government. On Tuesday, April 6, Johnson came in first among seven people to become a Trustee of Frederick, filling one of three seats. Johnson earned 191 votes, according to Ralph Shnelvar, who served as media contact for the campaign.

Shnelvar said the position pays $75 per meeting, and meetings are held twice a month over Johnson's four-year term. Shnelvar also noted the campaign is in debt about $1,500, and donations are being accepted at www.gowithjoe.org. Following is a news release from Shnelvar. The photos (taken by Shnelvar) show Johnson and workers for his campaign on Tuesday. -- Ari Armstrong

Go With Joe
Tuesday, April 06, 2004

For Immediate Release

It was an election night victory party

Frederick, CO: He walked Frederick even in pouring rain. He knocked on more than 2000 doors. He made countless phone calls. He organized volunteers. He raised money. He got databases of information and had his staff of volunteers get computer generated maps of the voting density in Frederick.

He worked unbelievably hard.

His message of freedom and property rights resonated with those who voted.

He won. Not only did he win but he came in first out of the seven candidates on the ballot and one write-in candidate.

This is a man to watch.

He didn't want to call it a victory party because he didn't know if he was
going to win. Yet that is what it turned out to be.

The people of Frederick turned out to be quieter and more private than most of the other campaigns that Joe and his team worked on in the past. Joe's campaign team tried to get a sense of how he was doing by seeing if those who showed up at the polls would wave to him as they exited the polling place. A handful gave the thumbs up. Some smiled. The rest would do well to take up professional poker.

It's a small town. A population that is hard to peg because of the enormous growth over the last few years. Let's call it a population of 5,000 with 3,000 voters.

Joe Johnson ran hard for six all-too-short and all-too-long weeks. He ran this campaign just like he would have had he been running for U.S. Senate. This press release is an example of that. A less professional campaign would not send out a press release for a victory for a town trustee.

Tonight he was asked if he has any political plans above and beyond town trustee. He said no. It is obvious that he is focused on doing the best job for the citizens of Frederick.

Yet there is a sense of melancholy, too. After knocking on those thousands of doors and making all those phone calls, less than 400 voters in Frederick turned out to vote. Even the charming and enthusiastic Joe Johnson could not get more than about 10% to exercise the privilege and duty to vote.

I have watched in awe as this dynamo of a man pushed himself and pushed himself. I've known Joe for several years as he selflessly and energetically worked on other people's campaigns and I know that he participates in politics for almost purely altruistic reasons.

Now that altruism, enthusiasm, and intelligence will be turned to the
benefit of the citizens of Frederick.